Taco de Ojo (Mexico City Offal Eye Taco)

History & Origin

Taco de ojo is part of Mexico's rich casquería tradition - the art of using every part of the animal in the kitchen. In Mexico City, casquería taquerías - featuring brains, tripe, stomach, suadero and eyes - are an inseparable part of neighbourhood food culture, especially in districts such as Tepito, La Merced, Doctores and the popular markets. The tradition of eating beef eyes has deep roots in pre-Hispanic cookery, where the Mexica used the whole animal. With the arrival of European cattle, these techniques were applied to new animals. The beef eye, with its high collagen and intramuscular fat content, yields a gelatinous, concentrated flavour that casquería connoisseurs consider a delicacy. Preparation is simple but time-consuming: the eye is cooked over very low heat in water with onion, garlic, bay leaf and herbs until the meat separates into soft shreds. It is then finely chopped and served in a tortilla with green salsa, chopped white onion and coriander. In casquería taquerías, taco de ojo is not on the daily menu but available early in the morning on slaughter days - a product of limited availability that elevates its status to a delicacy for the initiated.